For starters, residents of the Forks Township neighborhood will never run into the problem of hearing their neighbors through the walls.

Longtime homebuilders Nic Zawarski and Sons are the first to bring Detached TowneHome Living® to the Lehigh Valley, and it’s evident as soon as you pull up to the neighborhood that these aren’t your run-of-the-mill facades. Each home has a lot of character, but what stands out most are the stone archways that separate each unit.

“Putting an opening in between each home is an architectural concept that dates back to the early 1900s,” explains John Zawarski, the company’s director of sales and marketing. “When Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton were being built, they would have townhouses with an alleyway on the first floor. The second and third floor up to the roof would be attached, but they would have a little alleyway going to the back of the home and they gave it the architectural name of ‘grocer’s alley’.

The spacious, tree-lined community will eventually have 76 homes on the site, with residents able to customize their individual yards for entertaining – including the ability to add a concrete patio, fire pit or even an in-ground pool.

“The detachment was one of the nicest features, and the square footage is perfect. With the idea of a townhome, the drawbacks for me were attachment and the fact that you didn’t have your own property, per say,” says Grocer’s Alley resident Marylou Soltis. “These two issues were addressed beautifully in this development. I like the fact that we have a little bit of space between us.”

With a township population of about 15,500, Forks is just minutes away from downtown Easton, which hosts festivals and events throughout the year and has a booming culinary and community scene that is attractive to local residents. The Forks Township Community Center, as well as grocery and convenience shopping, are all within minutes away of the development where Sullivan Trail meets Meco Road.

“The community center has a gym and fitness equipment, and there are outdoor ballfields nearby that are packed with kids on weekends. This is a great location for anyone who enjoys getting out and enjoys a more urban environment,” points out Zawarski. “The old townhouses are so yesterday, and this is way cooler.”

Another rarity for the townhome development is that every single home has the opportunity to be completely unique from others in the neighborhood.

There are four different home models to choose from – John Dickinson, Patrick Henry, Abigail Adams, and Ethan Allen – with two first-floor and three second-floor designs to pick from. The models are also completely customizable, with the options to add a finished basement, expanded garage, full or half baths, open railings, a gas fireplace, kitchenette with a wet bar and mini fridge, linen cabinets or the ultimate designer laundry – depending on the model.

“We opted for many different customizations,” says Grocer’s Alley resident Patrick Tarr, who recently relocated from New Jersey with his wife so that they could call this development home. “It was really the ability to customize to get everything we wanted while staying in our budget that was the key factor. The main one is the walk-out bay window that was added on the side of the house, which really increased the area within our first-floor plan. We also added a walk-out basement door, wood flooring, closet, and bath upgrades. We also completed a significant amount of customizations in the kitchen. With me being a chef and my wife also in the food service industry, this was a key area of focus for us.”

For every model, the entire main level is set up so that the common area can easily be shared with family and friends – with the focal point being a large kitchen island with overhang seating and stainless steel appliances. Regardless of whether the kitchen is in the front of the house (Design “A”) or back of the house (Design “B”), it has plentiful prep and storage space, as well as a separate dining area.

One element that is also extremely noticeable throughout the homes? Light – and lots of it.

Because Detached TowneHome Living® allows for space between each residential unit, gone are the days when townhome owners couldn’t have natural light coming in through a wall they shared with a neighbor. Grocer’s Alley residents can choose to add cottage style or twin windows on both the first and second floors.

Other perks that continue on the second floor of the home include a third bedroom that could function as an office or nursery, a hookup for both the washer and dryer, an ensuite bathroom and optional tray ceiling in the master bedroom, and walk-in closets. The front bedroom also noticeably gets a lot of natural daylight.

“It’s a nice, bright home. Again, if it were attached, you wouldn’t have these windows. It’s not a big house, but all of the room sizes are comfortable and the first floor is great for entertaining,” says Zawarski. “Everybody wants open concept, and that’s what this offers.”

The development is being built in phases, with updates on which units are being released posted to Nic Zawarski and Sons’ website and social media. Several homes are already occupied, with several more scheduled to be ready for occupancy in the next 80 to 90 days or by year’s end. There are no Homeowners’ Association Fees associated with Grocer’s Alley, either, which – along with the lack of property restrictions – makes the concept all that more appealing.

New homeowners are also enjoying the ease of working with homebuilders who make the process easy for them.

“We researched a few home builders in eastern PA, but were drawn to the homes expected to be built at Grocer’s Alley due to the detached home design,” says resident Jon Religioso, who moved with his family from Jersey City, NJ, and was looking for an area with a lot less congestion. “Our initial visit with Nic Zawarski and Sons was very positive. Throughout the process, the builder kept us updated on the progress with emails, calls, photos and open visits to the site. It’s such a big change from where we came from, but we’re loving the space!”

Creating great townhome communities involves smart design choices, successful integration into the surrounding neighborhoods, and careful attention to site planning and architecture. In the end, the development needs to most benefit the people who live there and call it home, providing them with long-term value for a long-term investment.

The quality of materials being used in townhomes is better than ever before, and Zawarski works with eco-conscious providers who make sure that they’re sourcing lumber that is harvested every 10 to 15 years so that forests aren’t being cleared out. The overall focus on management of the design and build lends itself to quality homes while recognizing that every development site is unique.

“I think this community is going to be huge,” says Miranda Lane, New Home Specialist and Sales Associate for Nic Zawarski and Sons. “We know people in our other communities who tell young couples that they should check out Grocer’s Alley. There are young couples out there paying high rent on apartments when they could have something that’s theirs, is new and detached, and without paying HOA fees. That’s huge – and that’s extra money that they could be spending on enhancing their home.”

Grocer’s Alley at Sullivan Trail

The design center is located at 2225 Huntington Lane, Easton.

Detached TowneHome Living® starts at $274.900.00

Builder: Nic Zawarski and Sons

Features: The three-bedroom homes are 1557 to 1647 square feet, with customizable open floor plans, and 9-foot first-floor ceilings. The homes also come with a 10-year warranty and low or no-maintenance exteriors.

Veterans Advantage Program: Veterans have the opportunity to purchase a brand new home with Nic Zawarski and Sons for only $100 down.

For more information: Visit niczhomes.com or call Miranda Lane at 610-737-6612.